February 15-21, 2015

Sunday:  Dinner with Family

Monday:  Chad’s Venison Chili

·          Chad made some amazing chili with some ground venison from the freezer.  J

Tuesday:  Crockpot Bacon-Wrapped Apple Pork Chops with Rice and Salad

Crockpot Bacon-Wrapped Apple Pork Chops

·          My sister-in-law shared this recipe from Chef in Training with me, but it is originally for chicken.  I had everything to make this already on hand, except I used thick-cut pork chops instead of chicken.  We thought it was delicious with pork, and I’m sure it is with chicken as well.  Just like any pork recipe in the crock pot, I always think it’s better the next day, so the leftovers were wonderful.  J

Wednesday:  Breakfast for Dinner!  Eggs, Toast, Spinach Salad

·          The kids wanted breakfast for dinner, and I added a spinach salad with blueberries and fresh bell peppers to make sure they took in some healthy veggies too.

Thursday:  Cheeseburgers, Roasted Potatoes, & Spinach Salad

Friday:  Dinner with a Friend

Saturday:  Bolognese Baked Pasta, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, & Warm, Sourdough Bread

·          Our friend, Jeff, made dinner for us the night before and we had leftover pasta Bolognese.  I decided to put the pasta and sauce in a casserole dish and topped it with a bit more fresh parmesan.  I covered it and warmed it in a 400 degree oven until heated through.  I uncovered it for about 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.  This is a good way to eat leftover pasta without it drying out. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I found some shaved Brussels sprouts at Target, which I grabbed happily.  The hardest part of making Brussels sprouts in cutting them!  J  I tossed them with a little avocado oil, salt, & pepper and roasted them at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Then I stirred them around a bit, and roasted them for another 7 minutes.  After I pulled them out of the oven, I melted 2 tablespoons of butter and mixed that with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.  Our Aunt Hosannah makes this balsamic soy mixture for her vegetables.   I poured that over the Brussels sprouts and tossed it all together.  They were delicious!